Apparatus for making trim panels



'Filed sept. 2s, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 1 March 14, 1950 c. J. DAvlEs 2,500,895

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TRI PANELS n/AV INVENIOR. ICLARENCE J. DVIES ATTORNEYS March 14, 195o c. J. was 2,500,895

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PANELS Filed sept. 23,' 1946 2 suena-sheet 2 FIGB.

INVENTOR.

CLARENCE J. DAVIS Patented Mar. 14 1950 APPARATUS mamme 'ram PANELs clarence J. Davies, Denon, Mien., assigner tu National Automotive Fibres, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware "Application September 23, 1946, Serial No. 698.669

l This invention relates to trim panels designed for use on walls and doors to impart an ornamental finish thereto. More particularly, the invention relates to that type of structure comprising a body portion of impregnated ilbers and a fabric covering for the external surface thereof fashioned with the desired ornamental design.

It Ais the object of the invention to obtain a structure of this type having improved characteristics and more particularly in the construction of the border or edge portion of the panel. This object is obtained by a novel method and apparatus.

For greater clarity the construction of the panel and the method of forming the same is herein described but the subject matter claimed is the apparatus. It is a further object of the invention to obtain an apparatus in which the complete panel structure may be formed in a single pressing operation. To this end the invention consists in the novel construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a trim panel which specically forms the interior flnish for an automobile door;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2, Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of the press together with the rams and dies for forming the panel; and

Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are enlarged sections of a portion of Fig. 3 illustrating the sequence of operations in the forming of the reinforced edge portion of the panel.

In the general process of forming trim panels, of the type above referred to, a bat or layer of loose fibers together with a fabric cover on one or both sides thereof is placed between heated dies in a press and subjected to high compression. This will compact the fibers which have a binding material commingled therewith and, while still retained under pressure, a curing is effected which permanently binds the fibers to each other and to the fabric cover. The desired design or ornamentation is produced by the shape of the dies. so that after the curing has been accomplished a substantially rigid ornamental panel is formed. Various ibers may be used for the body material and also various binding agents such as, for example, phenol formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde or other synthetic resins. However, one speciilc construction may be formed of sisal ber with any suitable thermo-setting binding agent.

The construction as above described will have a fabric nished face but with unilnished edge portions. It is. therefore, a primary object of my 5 claims. v(ci. 154-1) invention to obtain a finished edge or border portion which is completely covered by the fabric and which also forms a reinforcing and strengthening element of the panel. It is a further object to accomplish this edge-forming operation substantially simultaneously with the operation for forming the body portion of the panel.

The specific panel illustrated in Fig. l has a substantially ilat body portion A provided with a central circular ornament A' formed of parallel circular grooves and top and bottom ornaments A2 and A3 formed of parallel horizontal grooves. Completely surrounding the panel is a border bead A4 which generally-is formed as follows. The panel blank is first cut to slightly larger dimensions than those of the ilnished panel. The edge portion on each side is return bent to bring the fabric cover around and beneath the same, and said return bent portion is then subjected to greater pressure to further densify the ilber illiing. 'I'his method is preferably automatically carried out in apparatus of the following construction.

- Apparatus B and B' are upright frame members of a press and C and D are upper and lower rams movable toward and from each other. Between these rams is -a cross-member E of the frame on which is supported an annular bed-plate F having its inner contour corresponding to the form of the trim panel. Within the member F is a die member G and between the members F and G is an annular die member H, having a bottom portion H' extending beneath but separated from the die member G. Springs I yieldably support the die member G on the bottom H' so as to be normally ush with the bed H. An upper die member J is secured to the upper ram C and is of a peripheral contour similar to, but slightly larger than, the inner contour of the bed plate F. Surrounding the die J is an annular member J3, which is attached to the upper ram C by shoulder bolts J5, permitting of a limited independent vertical movement of said member with respect to said ram C and die J. A cutter blade'K for trimming the blank to a similar but larger contour than that of the die J, to provide material for a return bend, depends from the member J3. 'I'he construction of the border portions of the die member J and annular member Ja is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7. Thus the member J is formed with a marginal groove portion J' extending obliquely from its inner edge into the die above the general plane of the panel with arcanos a return bend into said plane, which is radially beyond the inner periphery of the bed F. A complementary groove J2 is formed in the upper portion of the member Ja so that, in connection with the groove J', a return bend recess is formed which is radially beyond the inner contour of the bed F. Below the groove J1, the member J3 has a portion J4 which is the same in contour and in alignment with the contour of the bed F. Between the lower ram D and the bottom portion H of the die member H are pins L which during the operation of the press will raise the die member H andl through the medium of the springs I will also raise the die member G.

Operation In the operation of the apparatus above described, the fiber bat is laid upon the lower die member G to extend beyond the same over the annular bed member F and the cover M, which may be either woven fabric or felt, is placed on top of the bat. The first operation is the descent of the upper ram C (the operating mechanism for the rams not being illustrated) which presses down the blade member'K as shown in Figure 4 to cut both the` cover and the fiber bat to the proper contour as shown in Figure 5. The lower ram Dl is then raised, the upper ram C remaining stationary, and through the medium of the pins L die members H and G are raised. Inasmuch as the border portion of the blank extends over the bed member F and beneath ,the die member J3 this border portion will be bent downward when the die member G is raised as shown in Figure 6. This initial movement of the die member G is accomplished without materially compressing the springs I, but as the resistance due to the compression of the fibers increases the springs I will be compressed so that the annular die member H will be moved upward relative to the die member G and will engage the downturned portion of the blank. This portion will then be forced upward against the oblique face J which cams it outward into the bead cavity formed by the portions J and J2. As this cavity extends outward beyond the inner contour of the die member J3, it will produce a complete return bend or fold in the border portion of the blank as shown in Figure 7. Also, the compression pressure exerted on this border portion will be greater than that exerted by the die member G so that the fibers in this border portion of the blank will be further densifled. After the completions of the operations of the rams, the dies G, J and J3 will remain stationary in relation to each other while the curing of the blank is effected. This is preferably accomplished by heat. To this end, the die members G and J are heated preferably by members and P, respectively, adjacent thereto, which members are provided with passages for receiving steam or other fluid heating means. 'I'he pressure and the heat are continued until the blank is completely cured after which the rams are retracted and the completed panel removed. Such removal is accomplished by the dropping down of the member J3, permitted by the shoulder bolts J5, so that the finished panel may be drawn out laterally above the member J4.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In an. apparatus for forming trim panels. a panel fashioning die of predetermined contour having a bead forming recess adjacent to its peripheral edge, an annular member surrounding and depending from said die having a similar but smaller internal contour with an undercut recess therein which is complementary to said bead recess, a die of similar but still smaller contour for pressing a fabric faced ber bat blank within said annular member against said rst die and bending by the latter a marginal portion of the blank to extend transverse to the general plane thereof, and a die member intermediate said last mentioned die and said annular member for forcing said bent marginal portion of the blank into said complementary recesses to form a highly compressed bead and simultaneously return bending the fabric face about said bead.

2. In an apparatus for forming trim panels, a panel fashioning die of predetermined contour having a bead forming recess adjacent to its peripheral edge with an oblique inner face leading into said recess, an annular member surrounding and depending from said die having a similar but smaller internal contour with an undercut recess therein which is complementary to said bead recess, a die of similar but still smaller contour for pressing the fabric faced ber /bat blank against said first die within said annular member and bending by the latter a marginal portion of the blank to extend transversely to the general plane thereof, and a die member intermediate said last mentioned die and said annular member for forcing said bent marginal portion of the blank against said oblique face and thereby camming it outward into said complementary recesses to form a highly compressed bead with the fabric face return bent around the same.

3. In an apparatus for forming trim panels, a panel fashioning die o.' predetermined contour having a bead forming recess adjacent to its peripheral edge with an oblique inner face leading into said recess, an annular member surrounding and depending from said die having a similar but smaller internal contour with an undercut recess therein which is complementary to said bead recess, a cutter blade mounted on said annular member for trimming a blank to have a marginal portion extending beyond the contour of said first die, a die of similar but still smaller contour for pressing a fabric faced fiber bat blank against said first die Within said annular member and bending by the latter a marginal portion of the blank to extend transverse to the general plane thereof, and a die member intermediate said last mentioned die and said annular member for forcing said` bent marginal portion of the blank against said oblique face and thereby camming it outward into said complementary recesses to form a highly compressed bead with the fabric face return bent around the same.

4. In an apparatus for forming trim panels, a panel fashioning die of predetermined contour having a bead forming recess adjacent to its peripheral edge with an oblique inner face leading into said recess, an annular member surrounding and depending from said die having a similar but smaller internal contour withan undercut recess therein which is complementary to said bead recess, .a cutter blade mounted on said annular member for trimming a blank to have a marginal portion extending beyond the contour of said first die, a die of similar but still smaller contour for pressing a fabric faced fiber bat blank against said first die within said annular member and bending by the latter a marginai portion of the blank to extend transverse to the general plane thereof, a die member intermediate said last mentioned die and said annular member for forcing said bent marginal portion of the blank alsooos against said oblique face and thereby camming it outward into said complementary recesses to form a highly compressed bead with the fabric face return bent around the same, and means connecting said annular member to said rst die permitting separation thereof during retraction of the dies for removing the nshed blank therefrom.

5. In an apparatus for forming trim panels, a frame, upper and lower rams movable towards and away from each other on said frame, an annular bed plate supported by said frame between said rams having its inner contour similar to but smaller than the contour of the panel to be formed, a panel fashioning die secured to said upper ram and having a bead forming recess adjacent to its peripheral edge with an oblique inner face, an annular member surrounding said die secured to said upper ram to have a limited independent vertical movement, said annular member having an internal contour similar to but smaller than the contour of said panel and with an undercut recess therein which is complementary to said bead recess, a cutting blade mounted on said annular member and depending therefrom for trimming a blank to have a marginal portion extending beyond the contour of said first die, a die of similar but still smaller contour mounted upon said lower ram for pressing a fabric faced ber bat blank resting on said bed and shaped by said cutter against saidrst die within said annular member and bending by the latter a marginal portion of the blank to extend transverse to the general plane thereof. and a die member intermediate said last mentioned die and said annular member for forcing said bent marginal portion of the blank against said first mentioned die and the oblique` face of the recess thereof thereby camming the material outward and return bending the same to form a highly compressed bead with the fabric face extending around the same.

CLARENCE J. DAVIES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 318,088 Cooper May 19, 1885 490,060 Bayrer Jan. 17, 1893 912,285 Collins Feb. 16, 1909 1,668,349 Baum May 1, 1928 1,668,782 Roberts May 8, 1928 1,738,334 Taber Dec. 3, 1929 1,773,926 Michael Aug. 26, '1930 1,838,102 McGovern Dec. 29, 1931 2,118,080 Goodwin May 24, 1938 2,120,328 Ferngren June 14, 1938 `2,137,472 Forbes Nov. 22, 1938 2,144,544 Osborn Jan. 17, 1939 2,167,862 Avery Aug. 1, 1939 2,377,35'1 Martin June 5, 1945 2,431,353 Varner Nov. 25, 1947 

